Time in a Bottle
by kobitah
Summary: Post- Emily returning after Doyle is killed. Slight AU in that sense. Emily and Hotch- one night stand, fall pregnant. But he wants no part. Pretty angsty.


A/N: Hey all. Another story. I wrote a chapter for "Memory Lane" and deleted it from my computer without uploading it on here so I've been a little bummed. Thus the new story.

Just a short chapter to start off with, to introduce the line. General idea is that Emily and Hotch have a one night stand, fall pregnant (been done!) but he chooses to NOT be a part of the baby's life and not be announced as the dad. So for the sake of the story, only Emily and Hotch know the true identity of the father.

This is post-Doyle. I.e. Emily has returned and we're looking at this occurring in 2014. With the baby being born in September of that year.

Everyone except Seaver is back on the team.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own CM.

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><p>Hotch looked through the blinds in his office, watching as the young agent tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped slightly, her face blushing, and looked up from her paperwork. Her face lit up when she saw the large arrangement. A medium red glass vase with red and white carnations. And the card.<p>

She thanked the agent and placed the vase on her desk, pulling the card from the bouquet. She lifted the small piece of paper and breathed in the scent. A calm fell over her face and he watched a small smile grow.

She opened the card and the small smile grew even more, the corners of her mouth reaching her eyes. She leant forward and dropped her nose amongst the flowers, inhaling once more.

She leant back in her chair, her hand running over her round belly, and mouthing something to the small child growing inside of her.

Hotch sat back in his chair and sighed. He couldn't help the path his mind traveled down, thinking back to that night. Wondering if he'd done the right thing. Wondering if he'd made the biggest mistake of his life.

The night she'd told him she was pregnant.

And the night he told her it was too much.

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><p>Emily bobbed her head to the tunes pumping through her headphones, meticulously reading through the case files in front of her.<p>

A potential nightstalker in Pittsburgh.

A definite power-reassurance rapist in Denver.

She sighed and ran her hand over her rapidly expanding belly, glad that her small child was wrapped in a safe cocoon and away from the horrors of this world. And if she had her way, that same child would be spared the fate of so many of the victims she'd just studied. Emily chuckled to herself, only one more month to rid the world of evil. Totally achievable.

Emily almost jumped out of her skin when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She removed the earbuds and turned to see Agent Jenson holding a beautiful arrangement of flowers. She smiled at the younger man and happily accepted the delivery. She knew who they were from.

She glanced over the arrangement. A gorgeous mix of red and cream carnations in a beautiful red vase. She leant forward and pulled the card from amongst the flowers, sniffing the small piece of cardboard. It smelt like him. She knew it wasn't possible, but it really did.

Opening the card, she smiled as she glanced down at the name.

Joshua.

Emily's smile grew as she read the beautiful words.

"_I'm not a man of many words, but there are three of which I have no doubt. I love you." _

Emily could feel her cheeks growing sore, but she didn't care. After everything she'd been through in the past eight months, she was finally happy.

She leant forward and inhaled the wonderful scent of the flowers, running her fingers over their soft petals. She picked up the vase and placed it in the corner of her desk, leaning back in her chair and looking down at her belly.

"Blood and genetics don't matter Peanut, as far as I'm concerned, if he wants to be your daddy, the part's his."

Emily sighed and traced her fingers over her baby's temporary home, allowing her mind to wander back to that fateful evening. And wondering what would've happened if he'd said yes.


End file.
